On September 17th, a truly great international exhibition is due to open at the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, entitled ‘Medieval and Renaissance Tapestry in Europe. History Woven in Threads’. It will be shown in the reconstructed historic state rooms, over four halls (almost 1,000 square metres) on the third floor of the museum.

Visitors will be able to see some very old and valuable examples of large-scale textile art from the late 15th and 16th centuries. These are works from the dawn of the art of tapestry weaving in the Middle Ages to its flourishing during the Renaissance. It is rare that a museum agrees to loan such old tapestries (some are over 500 years old), which are so sensitive to changes in the micro-climate. Their display in their permanent locations is also restricted. Such early tapestries (from the 16th century) can only be found in Lithuania in the collection of the National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania (11 pieces), while other museums have textiles only from the 17th to the 19th centuries. The 34 tapestries brought to Lithuania for this exhibition belong to private collections in Italy, the United Kingdom, and other European countries, and the United States of America. Most of the early tapestries presented here come from the FRANSES Tapestry Archive (London, United Kingdom) and the collection of Nathan Levi (Florence, Italy). Simon Franses and Nathan Levi, both famous collectors, researchers and antique specialists, have selected the tapestries for this exhibition in Vilnius.

Vilnius, National Museum - Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania.
September 17th - December 14th, 2014

http://valdovurumai.lt/en/visitor-information/exhibitions/medieval-and-renaissance-tapestry-in-europe-history-woven-in-threads#.VEECaVdsD40